Haim Saban
|Row 3 title = Origin |Row 3 info = Alexandria, Egypt |Row 4 title = residence |Row 4 info = Beverly Hills, California |Row 5 title = nationality |Row 5 info = United States / Israel |Row 6 title = Employer |Row 6 info = Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (also Media proprietor) |Row 7 title = Company |Row 7 info = Saban Capital Group, Inc. |Row 8 title = Spouse |Row 8 info = Cheryl Saban (Wife) |Row 9 title = Shows Made |Row 9 info = C.O.P.S. (1988-1989) *Power Rangers(1993-2001) *VR Troopers(1994-96), *Big Bad Beetleborgs(1996-97) *Beetleborgs Metallic(1997-98) *Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (1998-99) *Power Rangers(2010-????). |Row 10 title = Company Web Site |Row 10 info = Saban Capital Group }} Haim Saban (born 15 October 1944 in Alexandria, Egypt) is an Israeli-American television and media proprietor. With an estimated currentupdate net worth of $2.8 billion, he is ranked by Forbes as the 102nd richest person in America. Personal life Haim Saban was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1944. As a result of the 1956 Suez War, which pitted Egypt and Israel against each other, Haim, along with his family, and much of the Egyptian Jewish community, fled to Israel.After almost going bankrupt in 1975, he moved to Paris, France. Later, in 1983, he moved again to Los Angeles. He currently resides in Beverly Hills, California and in Israel. Saban is married to Cheryl Saban, with whom he has two children. Through Cheryl, he is also the stepfather of Tifany and Heidi Lenhart. Business Company “Haim Saban” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Haim Saban, a worldwide pioneer and leader in the entertainment industry, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saban Capital Group, Inc. ("SCG"). SCG is part of a consortium of private equity firms that bought Univision Communications Inc. in 2007 and Mr. Saban currently serves as Chairman of the company's Board of Directors. He is also on the Board of Directors of DIRECTV and Societe Television Francaise 1, which operates the French television channel TF1. A native of Alexandria, Egypt, Mr. Saban immigrated to Israel at the age of 12 where he attended agricultural school and served in the Israeli Defense Force. While in Israel, he built the country's premier tour promotion business. In 1975, he relocated to France and established an independent record company that soon catapulted to the top of the European labels industry, selling more than 18 million records over a period of eight years. Mr. Saban moved to Los Angeles in 1983, where he launched a chain of recording studios that rapidly became the top supplier of music for television. Mr. Saban's foray into television began in 1988, when he formed Saban Entertainment, an international television, production, distribution and merchandising company. The company produced several major hits, including The X-Men™ and numerous other shows and products developed around Marvel Comics characters. Perhaps most notably, under Mr. Saban's guidance, the organization introduced to the U.S. the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers™ — a global phenomenon that to this day is one of the top selling boys' toy brands in the United States. In 1995, Mr. Saban merged his company with Rupert Murdoch's Fox Kids Network, creating a fully-integrated entertainment company that combined Saban Entertainment's content and merchandising strength with Fox Broadcasting's network distribution. In 1997, the Saban-Fox partnership acquired the Fox Family Channel, a fully distributed cable network, reaching 81 million homes. This partnership was restructured under the Fox Family Worldwide banner, which included the Fox Family Channel, the Fox Kids Network, Saban Entertainment, and Fox Kids International Network, a publicly traded, European based company with cable and satellite networks reaching 53 countries in Europe and the Middle East. Together they offered an unparalleled breadth and diversity of programming (6,500 negatives) and an extraordinary global distribution platform reaching more than 250 million homes worldwide. Mr. Saban (along with Mr. Murdoch) sold Fox Family Worldwide to The Walt Disney Company on October 24, 2001. The deal, spearheaded by Mr. Saban, was notable as the largest cash transaction conducted by a single individual in the history of Hollywood. Shortly thereafter, he formed Saban Capital Group. In 2003, SCG led a group of investors that acquired a controlling stake in ProSiebenSat.1 Media, Germany's largest broadcasting group. Mr. Saban served as ProSiebenSat.1's Chairman of the Supervisory Board. SCG sold the group's controlling stake in the company in 2007 to private equity firms KKR and Permira. In 2005, SCG teamed with Apax Partners and Arkin Communications to acquire a controlling stake in Bezeq The Israel Telecommunication Corp., Ltd., as part of the government's privatization of the company. In 2007, SCG teamed with a group of investors to acquire Univision Communications Inc., the premier Spanish-language media company in the U.S., with the number one ranked Spanish-language television network. Mr. Saban's passionate devotion to the philanthropic and political arenas reflects both his wide breadth of interests and his commitment to a strong relationship between the United States and Israel. Mr. Saban and his wife Cheryl started the Saban Family Foundation in 1999, which supports medical, children's and education programs, including the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Soroka Children's Hospital in Israel, the John Wayne Cancer Institute, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, American Israel Education Foundation, William Jefferson Clinton Foundation, and the United Friends of the Children. The Saban Family is on BusinessWeek's list of the 50 most generous philanthropists in the US. In 2002, Mr. Saban founded the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and he currently chairs its International Advisory Council. Career Early years Saban started his career in 1966 as a bass player and manager with the Rock band The Lions of Judah (in Hebrew are simply know as The Lions - Ha'arayot). In the interview to the Israeli businesses newspaper The Marker in 2006 Saban told the story that his involvement with the band started after visiting an outdoor music venue in Ramat Gan (In the Galei-Gil outdoor swimming pool where today the Sheraton City Tower stands) and telling the manager that he has a band that could perform at the venue; however at that the time he had yet to have a band nor knew how to play. A friend told him about two brothers (Shuki and Haim “Chaymon” Algranati) who play quite well and lived in North Tel-Aviv. Saban managed to track the brothers by walking around their neighbourhood and locating their house by hearing them rehearsing. He offered the Algranati brothers to be their concert promoter; and later learned to play the bass and also joined the band. In 1969 Dave Watts from the British band The Tornados joined The Lions. The same year, the band travelled to England and performed in night clubs in London. They received great reviews, which led them to be signed by Polydor Records. The band’s greatest moment came on 6 July 1969, when they were invited to perform on the BBC TV programme Colour Me Pop. The Lions record a single "Our Love's A Growing Thing”, but it was never released in the UK by Polydor Records, which encountered some financial difficulties at the time. The band returned to Israel and Saban focused solely on being a music promoter. In the early 1970’s Saban moved to France were he was initially a music prompter then a producer (working with artists, such as: Noam Kaniel, Mike Brant and Shuki & Aviva); he also started a record company with his friend Shuki Levy. In France, he participated in the introduction of Japanese anime and sentai TV series in the country.needed He produced the scores and opening themes for UFO Robot Grendizer and Candy Candy. He also did the same work on early imported series from America such as Starsky & Hutch and Dallas. Saban Entertainment In the United States, he became a television producer, founding Saban Entertainment in 1988. During that time, Haim Saban and partner Shuki Levy became known for soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s. Although Levy and Saban composed for their own properties (such as Kidd Video and Maple Town), they scored for other production companies as well (such as Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors). In 1998, The Hollywood Reporter reported that he did not actually compose all the music he is credited for. In the 1990s, Saban's company became best known for the production of Power Rangers, Masked Rider, VR Troopers and Big Bad Beetleborgs, which were western adaptations of Japanese tokusatsu shows. In 2003, he headed the $5.7 billion purchase of Kirch Media Group, the then-bankrupt German media conglomerate. About Saban Capital Group Saban Capital Group (“SCG”) is a leading private investment firm based in Los Angeles specializing in the media, entertainment and communications industries. Established in 2001 by Haim Saban, the firm makes both controlling and minority investments in public and private companies and takes an active role in its portfolio companies. SCG’s current private equity investments include Univision (the premier Spanish-language media company in the US) and Tiger Gate Entertainment (a joint venture with Lionsgate to operate branded pay television channels across Asia). The firm formed Saban Brands LLC in 2010, a subsidiary, to acquire, manage and license entertainment properties and consumer brands across media and consumer platforms globally. In addition, SCG actively manages a globally diversified portfolio of investments across public equities, credit, alternative investments, and real property assets. SCG partners with best of class investment managers to develop long-term strategic relationships. Haim Saban was the founder of Fox Family Worldwide which he owned in partnership with News Corporation until its sale to The Walt Disney Company in October, 2001. Saban Brands "This is the Brands Company is logo for Power Rangers" Saban Brands applies a transmedia brand management approach to enhancing and extending its Brands in markets worldwide and to consumers of all ages. Saban Brands provides full service brand management, marketing, promotion and strategic business development for the Company’s intellectual properties and brands. Strategy and business development uniquely suited to each Brand Retail development, sales, promotion and marketing Specialized brand extensions including interactive, location-based entertainment, live events, and tours. Direct-to-consumer initiatives including eCommerce Creative design and development for Brands, licensees, retailers and manufacturers. Comprehensive trademark and copyright management and enforcement The Saban Brands Web Site: “Saban Brands“ ABC Family On July 23, 2001, Saban announced that he and News Corporation would sell Fox Family Worldwide Inc for $5.3 billion to The Walt Disney Company. and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed and the network was renamed ABC Family. Saban, as an individual, profited about $1.6 billion from this sale. This is the largest transaction between a company and a private citizen ever. Univision |On June 27, 2006, Saban Capital Group led a group of investors bidding for Univision Communications, the largest Spanish-language media company in the United States. Other investors in the Saban-led group were Texas Pacific Group of Fort Worth, Texas and Thomas H. Lee Partners. The group was successful in acquiring Univision with a bid valued at $13.7 billion (USD). Shareholders have since filed a lawsuit over the handling of the deal Nickelodeon On May 12, 2010, it was announced that Saban had bought back the rights to the Power Rangers franchise. Now it back to Saban Entertainment for Nick (aka Nickelodeon), The N (aka The Network for Teens also known as 'TeeNick'). 'Film In California' and has plans to premiere the 18th season with 40 new episodes on the Nickelodeon network for Power Rangers: Samurai & other future Power Rangers Series. Film Work Composer(70 titles) *Space Strikers (TV series) *Samurai Pizza Cats (TV series) *Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (TV series) *Beach Blanket Tomato (1990) *The Gang That Couldn't Squirt Straight (1990) *Frankenstem Tomato (1990) *Spatula, Prinze of Dorkness (1990) *Camp Casserole (1990) *The New Adventures of He-Man (TV series) *The Hitchhiker (TV series) (There are 60 More Listed on IMDb.com) Producer(44 titles) *Power Rangers Samurai (TV series)(executive producer)(2011) (filming) *Power Rangers Time Force (TV series) (executive producer)(2000) *Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (TV series) (executive producer)(1999) *Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (TV series) (executive producer)(1998) *Power Rangers in Space (TV series) (executive producer)(1997) *Addams Family Reunion (video) (executive producer) *Rusty: A Dog's Tale (executive producer) *Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog (TV series) (executive producer) *Casper Meets Wendy (TV movie) (executive producer) *Diabolik (TV series) (executive producer) *Casper: A Spirited Beginning (TV movie) (executive producer) *Beetleborgs Metallix (TV series) (executive producer) *Power Rangers Turbo (TV series) (executive producer)(1996) *Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (executive producer)(1996) *Breaker High (TV series) (executive producer) *Big Bad Beetleborgs (TV series) (executive producer) *Power Rangers Zeo (TV series) (executive producer)(1995) *Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (TV series) (executive producer)(1993-1995) *Princess Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic (TV series) (executive producer) (Lots more on IMDb that can not fix here) Politics Saban "said he caught the political bug in the mid-1990s, when he felt that support for Israel was slipping in the United States." Bill Clinton presidency Mother Jones, in an analysis of the major donors to the campaigns of 1998 election cycle, ranked Saban 155th among individual donors. Amy Paris noted that Saban's Clinton-era "generosity did not go unrewarded. During the Clinton administration, the entertainment executive served on the President's Export Council, advising the White House on trade issues." The New York Times reported that Haim and his wife "slept in the White House several times during President Clinton's two terms. And Mr. Saban has remained close to the former president." 2000 presidential election During the 2000 presidential election, Saban increased his rank to 5th among individual donors with a combined contribution of $1,250,500. 2001-2002 Democratic National Committee Matthew Yglesias wrote that "Saban was the largest overall contributor to the Democratic National Committee during the 2001–2002 cycle" and related the support from Saban to the fact that "the party leadership was backing the Iraq War and Terry McAuliffe was DNC chair."15 Saban's donations during that 2001–2002 period exceeded $10 million, the largest donation the DNC has received from a single source up to that time. Hillary Clinton presidential campaign Hillary Clinton had a long history of good relations with Haim dating back to Haim's late 1990s support of her husband's political efforts. Hillary told a reporter for the New York Times in September 2004 that "Haim Saban has been a very good friend, supporter and adviser to me. I am grateful for his commitment to Israel, to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to my foundation's work, particularly on reconciliation issues." In May 2007, Haim publicly declared his support for Hillary Clinton in 2008 presidential election. Matthew Yglesias has related Saban's support of Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign to Saban's earlier 2001-2002-era donations to the then Iraq war-supporting DNC saying that "if Clinton becomes president, they'll be back in the positions of influence they enjoyed back then. I doubt this all means that Hillary Clinton's secretly itching for war with Iran, but it's yet another illustration of the fact that her views on national security policy are too neoconnish for my tastes." In June 2007, Haim and Steven Spielberg co-hosted a Hillary Clinton fundraiser at the house of Peter Chernin, the President of News Corporation. According to the Los Angeles Times, the fundraiser brought in over $850,000. In March 2008, Saban was among a group of major Jewish donors to sign a letter to Democratic Party house leader Nancy Pelosi warning her to "keep out of the Democratic presidential primaries." The donors, who "were strong supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign", "were incensed by a March 16 interview in which Pelosi said that party 'superdelegates' should heed the will of the majority in selecting a candidate." The letter to Pelosi stated the donors "have been strong supporters of the DCCC" and implied, according to The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, that Pelosi could lose their financial support in important upcoming congressional elections. On May 19, 2008, it was reported that Haim Saban had "offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization's two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat." Republican Party He has also made some select donations to members of the Republican Party including a 2003 contribution to George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign. Regarding Saban's selective support of Republicans, The New York Times writes: "Mr. Saban is a vocal opponent of President Bush ---- 'I think Bush is just messing it up every day more' ---- he supports some of Mr. Bush's policies. 'On the issues of security and terrorism I am a total hawk.'" Arnold Schwarzenegger re-election Saban joined Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg in endorsing the re-election of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican Governor of California, on August 7, 2006. Saban Center for Middle East Policy In 2002 Haim provided an initial grant of 13 million USD and a pledge of additional funds20 to create the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, a foreign policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.. The Saban Center is part of the larger Brookings Institution think tank. The Saban Center aims to provides policy makers in government with information and analysis regarding America's foreign policy in the Middle East. Haim personally recruited Martin Indyk to direct the Saban Center. Saban National Political Leadership Training Seminar Haim Saban sponsors the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee's Saban National Political Leadership Training Seminar, a series of semiannual seminars in Washington to provide college student activists for three days of intensive pro-Israel advocacy training21. The seminars, named after Saban, each provide up to 300 students from a hundred campuses with training in order to "prepare for challenges and opportunities on their campuses and students left Washington prepared to mobilize for legislative and electoral impact during the next school year and into campaign '08."22 Among the prominent figures to have addressed the seminars are Senator Evan Bayh and Congressman Mark Kirk and academics David Makovsky, Robert Satloff and Dennis Ross External links *Saban Capital Group “About Saban” *Saban Capital Group “Haim Saban“ * IMDb Page: “Haim Saban“ * Tv.com Page “Haim Saban“